A Promise
by ClemmyClue102
Summary: Kenny deals with the struggle of raising two kids in a apocalyptic world, while regretting his past decisions.
1. Chapter 1

_**Kenny deals with the struggle of raising two kids in a apocalyptic world, while regretting his past decisions.**_

_**-Another fic. I hope it's good. It takes place after/if Clem and AJ leave with Kenny.**_

_**Let me know if you think I should write more or leave it as it is.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

"Kenny?" Came a soft voice.

"Clem?" Kenny groaned, shifting to turn to the girl. Eyes adjusting to the darkness, he looked over to the child who stood beside the bed. "Thought you were asleep."

"I can't sleep." She replied.

"Why not?" Kenny asked.

"I...I don't know." Clementine looked down.

Kenny knew why. It had been the same thing, ever since they set out. When they found this house he had hoped things would be better for her, but clearly, they weren't.

It had been nearly two months, and things were no different from the way they were before.

He couldn't help, but blame himself. What he did to Jane, Clementine, that eleven year old little girl didn't need to see that. And he knew she would never forget that. He had scarred her for life. He remembered when he had first met Lee, when he had told him some things in this world could mess up a precious little angel like Clementine. He never thought he'd be one of those things snipping at her wings.

It was moments like this that he regretted not leaving them in Wellington. At least he'd knew they'd be safe there. And yet, he allowed himself to be overthrown, by a mere child. Some man he was.

"Kenny?" Clementine's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see her still standing in the same spot as before.

"Clementine," He sighed.

He scooted over, patting the spot next to him.

"C'mon. Get some rest, darlin'." He said waiting for her to crawl into the bed.

"I can't." Clem complained.

"C'mon." He tugged her over, laying her down beside him. He heard AJ give a whine from his other side. "Shh...shh, its okay." He soothed, until the child went quiet.

It was dead silent in the room. Kenny let out a sigh, "Clem, I sent you to bed two hours ago."

"Yeah." Clementine muttered, sadly.

"You can't keep going on like this." Kenny scolded. "It's not healthy. You need sleep."

"I know." Clem sighed.

"So, what's the problem?" Kenny asked.

"Nothing...I...I just can't sleep." Clementine shrugged.

"Nightmares?"

"...Yeah." Clementine admitted.

"Oh, Darlin'," He gently reached out and stroked her hair. "What can I do to make it better?"

She didn't answer.

"I guess you don't want to talk about it?" Kenny questioned.

After a moment of silence Clem spoke again. "I keep dreaming about them...Everyone that died."

"Oh..." Kenny didn't know how to respond to that. "Uh...Try not to think about it."

That was easier said than done.

Kenny was beginning to doze off in the silence, but a quiet whimper stopped him. He turned back to AJ, tiredly, and ready to hush him, only to find him asleep.

A few more whimpers filled the air before Kenny finally realized what it was, Clementine was crying.

"Clementine?" He called.

"Hmm?" She whimpered out.

"C'mere, hon." He forced his sleep deprived body into a sitting position, being careful not to wake AJ. Between taking care of an infant, and dealing with Clementine's nightmares every night, he wasn't getting any sleep.

Pulling Clementine close, he allowed the girl to cry into his chest. "Shh, don't cry."

"I-I just wish I could have done...done s-something." She sobbed.

"It's not your fault."

"It is. Everything's always my fault." She cried.

"No Clementine. It's not. It's not you." He stroked her hair allowing her to continue to cry, like the kid she was for once. "It's okay. Don't be upset, Clem. You tried. You tried to help. Nothing that happened is your fault." Kenny soothed her, rubbing her back. "We did everything we could."

"I'm sorry." Clementine wept, "I can't make it stop..."

"Shh...You have nothing to be sorry for." He assured her, willing to let her to cry until she couldn't cry anymore.

"I'm scared..." Clementine muttered, after calming down a bit. "I don't want anyone else to die."

"No one gonna die." Kenny tried to assure. "I promise you."

"You can't promise that." She shook her head.

"No. I guess I can't...But its just us three now, and I will do my damnedest to keep you and AJ alive." Kenny said. "I can promise you that. I'll keep you alive, even if I die trying."

"Why?" Clementine questioned, looking into his eyes.

"Why what?" Kenny asked, confused.

"How can you say that?!" Clementine cried out, glancing over to AJ, before quieting her voice. "That's so sad...I already lost Lee, and everyone else. I don't want to lose you too, Kenny. You're-" She gave a small sniffle before continuing. "You're all I have left." She hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, darlin'." Kenny tightened his arms around the girl. "I'm so sorry. It's the same for me. You and AJ, here, you guys are the only thing I have left in this world. If anything were to happen to you...I...I don't know...Just- I love you, Clementine."

"Me too." Clem whispered, closing her eyes. "Promise...Promise you won't leave us. P-Please?" She begged, even though she knew it was an impossible promise to keep.

"I promise, Clem." Kenny laid back on the bed, bring her with him.

"You were going to..." She muttered.

"I...I know. I thought it was best for you. That you'd be safe."

"We don't know those people. We don't know what they could have done to us."

It was true and it took a kid to make him realize it. Clem continued, "You were gonna leave us with...with strangers."

Kenny felt sick to his stomach. He was, wasn't he? He was going to leave HIS kids with people they didn't know, people he'd never see, and then turn around and walk away. He'd never know who was taking care of them. He'd never know if they were really, truly safe. He felt like an idiot. He was suppose to protect them. He had to protect them.

"I'm sorry...It was...I just wanted you to be safe." Kenny replied, feeling guilt eating away at him.

"I feel safer with you." Clementine sighed out.

"It will never happen again."

"Pinky swear?" She asked in a small voice. She didn't want to seem like a child, but she knew it would make her feel better.

Kenny smiled, trying not to laugh at this innocent side of Clementine, as he locked his pinky with hers. "I pinky swear you, sweetie."

"A pinky swear is forever." Clementine said, repeating what Sarah had said to her when the two had promised to become "best friends".

"Yeah?" Kenny asked.

"Yes." She nodded. "No take backs."

"Then you have to promise me the same, Clem."

"Okay. I promise you, Kenny." She whispered, sleepily. "Cross my heart."

"Good girl." He rubbed a hand over her cheeks, wiping any left over tears away. "Get some sleep, Clem."

"You...You have to keep your promise, no matter what." Clementine said, gently taking his hand into her small one. "No matter how hard it gets, you can't just leave us."

"Never. I'd never leave you." Kenny gently kissed her forehead. "Now, go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake."

"Okay..." Clem gave a small smile, allowing herself to drift off. "Thank you, Kenny."

"Don't mention it, hon."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi guys. So, here's the next chapter, I know it's about time, but I've been really busy. This was a bit last minute and rushed, like middle of the night material, but I still hope you like it. Don't hate me yet. The story will get better, I promise! **_

_**Thank you, to everyone who's read, review, followed, or Favorited. You're all amazing!**_

_**And without further ado**_

_**~Enjoy.**_

* * *

For Kenny, holding little Alvie was the most enjoyable thing. There was nothing better than sitting all relaxed with a soft, sweet- smelling infant. He loved the wonderful baby smell. Loved the warmth that the boy gave. And how he would drift right off in his arms.

Right now, however, AJ was wide awake. The boy was making a variety of noises using his mouth, lips and saliva.

Kenny was happy to interact with the child, although he couldn't understand the boy.

He enjoyed watching little Alvie as the boy continued to make the noises over and over again. "La-la-la-la."

Kenny moved closer to the boy with a smile. "Tryin' to tell me somethin' Buddy?"

"MMmmmMMM..."

He chuckled as AJ pounded his little hands up and down on the bed's mattress and moved his tiny feet like a person riding a bicycle.

"GAaaAAaaaAAA..." Alvie continued reinforcing the man's attention with little sounds, keeping Kenny close to him.

Kenny was happy for this bonding moment with the child. He felt it was a huge stress reliever. As well as a big reminder of why he was still alive. Those kids were the reasons why he was still here. They were what was important. The only things in life that mattered anymore.

When he got moments like this he couldn't help, but want to hold them dear, to treasure them. Moments like this were amazing to him, and it broke his heart to know these moments would last much longer.

They had it easy for a while now, but unfortunately for them, things couldn't just stay so simple. The could just have a relatively normal care-free life. Not anymore in this shit world. They couldn't stay here forever. They were running low on supplies and if he couldn't find some soon they would have to leave. He knew it, but not wanting to worry Clementine, he kept it to himself. It tore him up knowing that he'd have to tell the girl eventually.

He didn't know if he could do it. He didn't think he could bring those kids back out there. He didn't know how long any of the would last out there.

"Kenny!" A sudden voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

He turned to face the owner of the voice as she stepped into the room. He sent the girl an affectionate smile, "Hey, darlin'."

"Hey." She smiled back. "Look."

"What'd ya find, darlin'?" Kenny asked, turning to see what she was holding up.

"I found a jump-rope!" She exclaimed happily.

Kenny grinned. He was glad to see her smiling. It was rare to get one of those out of her nowadays. And he was happy to see that she got joy from finding something as simple as a skip-rope. It showed there was still some childlike innocence left in her.

"That's great, hon." It was good that she had found some source of entertainment. He knew there wasn't much for her to do. There wasn't anyone her age around and he was sure she didn't want to spend all day up under him.

"Yeah. Look, AJ!"

He turned his attention to her when he heard her cry out, just then realizing that she had made her way across the room and over to little Alvie and was now dangling the rope above him. She was smiling as she shows it to the little boy, who reached out for it.

Kenny watched the scene with a smile. They were the reasons that he was here.

* * *

It was quiet in the house. Too quiet. And for some reason the silence felt unnerving to Kenny. It made him feel like someone was planning something, yet there was no one there. No one but AJ, Clem, and himself. Still, he couldn't help but feel the need to make sure everything was okay. To make sure nothing was out of place. Even though they'd been there for a month, he had learned from past experience that there was no such thing as a safe place. And he didn't want to make the same mistake he had once made of getting too comfortable.

AJ was asleep, he had been for some time now, and for a while, Kenny had found himself feeling content just sitting there, stroking the child's hair and listening to his soft breathing. However, once he realized how quiet it was he couldn't help but start to feel anxious.

Clementine had gone off on her own somewhere, most likely playing with her new found toy. Regardless, Kenny felt the need to check up on her.

He stood from the bed, careful not to wake Alvie. He felt uneasy leaving the child alone, but he figured he should be fine for Kenny to quickly check on Clem.

Making his way down the hall, he came to her room and gave a knock. Not getting a response he felt nerves getting the best of him. "Clem?" He called out.

Still getting no answer, he opened the door.

He nearly smiled at the innocent sight in front of him. The girl was skipping the jump-rope that she had found. He took note of how good she was at it.

He wondered to himself how long she'd been playing with that thing. He couldn't stop himself from uttering out, "You're really liking that jump-rope, huh?"

Clementine flinched, startled by the sudden voice. She quickly stopped skipping, turning towards the man. A look of shame suddenly spread across her face.

Kenny quickly noticed her look, and grew confused. "Clem?" He called. "What's the matter, hon?"

"Nothing..." She shook her head before letting out a sigh. "It's just...really childish to be doing things...like this."

Kenny walked over to here."You're a kid, darlin'," He knelt in front of her. "It's okay to be childish sometimes, Clem."

He felt bad for her. The girl always had kept her guard up so long that she felt ashamed when she acted like a child. People, including himself, had always put such exorbitant amounts of pressure on the poor girl. And because people had such high expectations of her, she always had to be so mature, to be an adult, something she clearly wasn't supposed to be. Clementine was still a child and even though it had been so long since the kid had been a kid, it didn't change the fact that she was one. Not to mention that she had dealt with thing shit for three years and she still, hopefully, had many more years ahead of her. Talk about a toxic childhood.

"Immaturity will get you killed." Clementine replied in a very matter-of-fact tone.

Kenny was a bit startled by her statement. "Don't talk like that, hon." Was all he could think to say.

Clementine stared at him for a moment before lowering her gaze to the jump-rope. "I think Sarah would've liked this..." She said sadly.

Kenny stood back up, watching the young girl with a sorrowful look. "...I'm sorry, Clem."

"For what?" Clementine asked, but spoke again before he could answer. "It's not your fault that she's dead." She shrugged.

Kenny was concerned for the young girl, seeing her in such a dark mood when she had been so happily playing with that jump-rope moments ago made his heart ache. He regretted ever having said anything.

As he looked over the girl he could feel guilt growing in his chest as he knew he had triggered this behavior. He decided to try to brighten the mood.

"How high can you jump, Clem?" He asked.

Clementine sent him a confused look. "...I don't know."

"Let me see." He urged her on, motioning towards the jump-rope.

She didn't move, feeling slightly unsure of herself and a bit embarrassed by the man's request. "Here, lemme try?" He said reaching out a hand to take it.

"You?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. C'mon."

"Okay..." She paused for a moment, an uncertain look on her face, before handing the rope to the man.

She gave a small giggle as he clumsily attempted to jump over the rope.

"You laughing at me?"

"...Yes." She giggled out.

"Well, lets see you do it."

"Fine." Clementine took the rope before demonstrating her perfect jump roping skills.

Kenny laughed, surprised to see the girl showing off. "I could do that." Kenny crossed his arms.

Clementine sent him a look that said she didn't believe him.

"It's too small for me." Kenny told the girl.

Clementine took a quick scan around the room, "Wait..." Clementine walked over to the bed, jump-rope in hand, she tied one end to the bed. Before walking to the other side of the room so the rope was fully was stretched out. "Okay, now try to jump it." She held the rope low as possible.

Kenny chuckled. She was mocking him, he just knew it. He easily jumped over the rope.

"You made it!" Clementine said with fake excitement.

"Please, I can jump higher than that." Kenny huffed. He wasn't too old to jump high yet.

"Do it then." Clementine challenged.

"I will." Kenny accepted.

Clementine lifted the rope again, much higher than before.

"Wait, why are you holding it that high?" He asked.

"Just jump it." She taunted. "If you can..." She added in a joking manner.

"Watch and learn, kid." He replied. Jumping higher than he's jumped in a long time, he made it over the rope.

"Wow!" Clementine exclaimed.

Kenny suddenly let out a pained groan, grasping his knee. "Ow, my leg." He complained.

"Kenny?" She asked, voice full of concern.

He quick straightened up, "Just kiddin', darlin'" Kenny chuckled. "Bad joke?"

Clementine glared at him. "That wasn't funny."

"You really think I'm old. Don't ya, Clem?" Kenny frowned at the girl, trying to hide the humor in his voice.

"No." Clementine denied. "I really thought you were hurt, it was a high jump." She ranted. "Yeah, I know, hon." Kenny hushed her before he smiled. "You're turn." He said, taking the jump-rope from her hands.

She gave a small bob of the head. "Okay. Hold it tight and I'll jump." Clementine ordered.

Kenny nodded, lifting the rope up. "Go."

She took a running start and right before she could jump, he yanked the rope up higher. "That's not fair!" She cried out.

"Okay, okay. For real." Kenny laughed.

She sent him a skeptical look before trying again, stopping just as he yanked the jump-rope higher into the air. "Cheater!"

"Okay. For real this time."

"Don't move it." She warns, glaring at him.

"I won't."

Clementine begin to run once more but just before she could jump, a cry from the other room interrupts their game.

"Well, looks like the games over." Kenny spoke, allowing the jump-rope to drop from his hands. He hadn't noticed how long they'd been playing.

With a sigh he headed towards the door.

Clementine quickly followed after him. "Umm...Kenny," She called nervously.

"Yes, darlin'?" "Thanks for that."

She said, shyly.

"Of course, hon." He gave her a pat on the head. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Clementine admitted. "It was."

Kenny smiled at the girl, glad he had managed to cheer her up.

They were silent as they made it into the room where AJ lay. Kenny quickly gathered the child into his arms and set to work on quieting the boy.

Clementine opted to stand by the doorway. She watched as Kenny soothed AJ for a moment before hesitatingly calling out to the man, "Kenny, will you..." She paused.

Kenny looked over at the girl, waiting for her to continue.

"Will you... play with me again some time?" She asked, cheeks growing slightly red in embarrassment as she noticed how much she sounded like a little child.

"'Course I can." Kenny said.

"Thanks..." Clementine muttered.

Kenny smiled to himself. It was nice to see Clementine allowing herself to act like a child for once. She deserved a moment to be a kid. Maybe that little game of jump-rope was something they both had desperately needed.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. I've been really caught up with school and a bunch of other crap, though I'm sure you don't want my excuses. **_

_**This chapter was also a struggle for me. I don't know why. I had chapter 3 and 4 written out before chapter two. I was planning the story out in my head and ending writing stuff for later chapters, rather than current. **_

_**I knew I didn't want to have anything bad happen right off the bat, so I did try to make this a happy chapter because the story is going get really depressing...Eventually...Sorry. **_

_**And the jump-rope idea came from my little sister and my dad. They were playing together and I thought it was absolutely adorable.**_

_**Anyways, Read, Review. Thank you for all your support.**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Here, you go, bud." Kenny whispered to AJ as he fed the child a bottle. He glanced over to Clementine, who sat across from him at the table.

Clementine was looking at her food, a look of bitterness on her face as she played around with it.

Kenny didn't know what had put the girl back into this depressing mood, but he didn't ask. Everyone had their bad days. He just figured she was having one of them. "C'mon, Clem, you gotta eat something."

She looked up from her food to him. "I have."

"You've barely touched it." He argued.

"How would you know?" She huffed out under her breath.

"Clementine, please." He pleaded with the child.

"What about you, Kenny?" She countered. "When's the last time you've eaten?"

"You don't have to worry 'bout me, hon." Kenny said. "I'm the one taking care of you."

"No..." Clementine clearly disagreed. "We take care of each other." Clem crossed her arms sending him a defensive glare. "And I'm not a little kid."

He was such a hypocrite. He lectured her for not eating while he refused to do so himself. She hated how he would put her first and not even focus on his own needs. She wasn't a child. She could take care of herself, she had proved that many times.

Kenny snorted. "'Course not, darlin'." Kenny found it amusing that she would say that after the display she gave last night. He thought about mentioning it, but quickly decided against it.

"I'm being serious, Kenny." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"I agreed with you." Kenny chuckled.

"It sounded pretty sarcastic." Clementine said.

"It wasn't meant to be, hon." He replied indifferently. Regardless of what Clementine thought or how other adults treated her, she was still a child. He didn't understand why she didn't realize this.

Clementine rolled her eyes at his response. "Yeah, right."

After a few minutes of silence Clementine pushed her bowl away. "Kenny," She called, waiting for the man to lock eyes with her. "What's going on?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to tell me what the problem is?" She asked.

Kenny cocked an eyebrow at her, "There is no problem, hon."

"Then why do you seem so stressed out." She asked. She was truly concerned for the man's well-being and wanted to help him feel better.

'Damn.' Kenny inwardly swore. Why was this little girl so clever?

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Clem." He tried to brush her off.

"You can tell me, Kenny." When he didn't say anything, she found herself feeling a slight bit worried. "What?" She ask, "W-Why won't you tell me?"

Kenny sighed. "You don't need to worry about this stuff, Clem. You're a kid. So...just...just be one."

It was starting to piss her off that he suddenly wanted to treat her like a kid. She didn't want that. She wanted him to be able to rely on her to do things. She didn't want to just sit around why he dealt with things on his own, she wanted to be able to help. Now she felt like he no longer trusted her. And it made her feel completely and utterly useless. He never told her anything.

"I don't want to be a kid!" She snapped, frustration coming out.

"That's what you are, Clem." Kenny pointed out with an annoyed shake of the head.

"And you're ridiculous, that's what you are." She shot back.

Kenny didn't reply. Deciding to ignore her. If anyone was being ridiculous, it was definitely her. He clearly didn't want to talk about his problems so why didn't she just let it drop?

"I saw you digging through duffel bags last night." Clementine blurted out. "I was going to go back to bed, but you seemed pretty bothered so I figured something was up." Clementine explained.

Kenny had nothing to say. He was supposed to tell her about them running low on supplies a while ago. He just couldn't bring himself to do so.

"You want to tell me what you were looking for?" Clementine raised a brow at him suspiciously.

Of course he didn't want to tell her. But he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Kenny gave a quiet mumble however, his words were too faint for Clementine to hear.

Feeling aggravated the girl, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

He didn't answer. She was becoming more and more irritated. Was he purposely trying to push her buttons.

"Kenny! You already said it." She said. "Is it really that hard to speak a little louder?"

Kenny groaned. Here he was, sitting in a chair, getting a tongue-lashing from a little girl. How manly he felt. Nonetheless, he spoke again, louder this time. "We're low on supplies."

"What?" She asked in disbelief. It had seemed like so much.

"We're nearly out of supplies, Clem." Kenny repeated.

"When were you going to tell me?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know." Kenny admitted. "Eventually."

"When is eventually?" Clementine demanded, steadily eyeing the man. "That could be never."

"Don't start." Kenny warned, not in the mood to hear Clementine's whining.

"No. You...You never tell me anything." Clementine complained. "I'm not a kid Kenny. I've helped before, I can still help now."

"You are a kid!" He snapped, causing Alvie to give a whimper. He quickly hushed the boy.

"Well, I'm not just a kid." Clementine stated. "If you would tell when things happened, I could help you. We're running out of supplies, but...We can find some."

"Clem," He looked up meeting her eyes. Her devouring gaze shot straight through him and left him unable to speak.

"We're supposed to be in this together." Clementine said, accusingly.

"It's not that simple, Clementine! We're nearly out of supplies, and I don't know how much longer this shit is gonna last us." He yelled. Clementine flinched and Alvie began crying, but he didn't care. She wasn't going to keep making him feel bad. "Tell me where and how the hell we're going to find the things we need." He snapped.

"We can't give up before we even try."

"Clementine." Kenny lowered his voice, " There's nothing left." He said, again trying to quiet Alvie down. He felt guilty. He had scared them, he hadn't meant to, but he still did. What the hell was wrong with him? "You should have just stayed in Wellington."

Clementine quickly blinked away tears that had welled up in her eyes. "Why are you saying...that?"

She didn't understand why he was acting this way. She couldn't understand.

Kenny just sighed keeping his attention on Alvie, not able to bring himself to look back up at the girl. "Ya gonna eat or not?" He asked her.

"Are you?" She tossed back with a challenging look.

"No." Kenny answered shortly.

Clementine furrowed her brow at that before replying, "Neither am I... I don't feel like eating right now."

His words had hurt her, but she didn't want him to see that. She just wanted to get out of that room as soon as possible.

"Fine." He didn't see the point in fighting with her. He felt too drained for that. If she wasn't hungry now she would be eventually. "If you're not hungry, you don't have to eat."

Satisfied with his answer, Clementine pushed herself up from the table.

Once she was gone, Kenny let out an irritated grunt. "What am I gonna do with that girl, Alvie?" He asked although, he knew the child couldn't give him an answer.


	4. Chapter 4

She had been avoiding him for the past few days. He knew why too. She was pissed at him.

"Hey, Clem."

She gave a loud sigh, turning to face him. "Hi." She replied.

"How are you?" He asked. He was hoping he could make conversation with the girl, but she wasn't having it.

"How do you think I am?" She asked. Her tone was so cold, it just seemed...tired.

He didn't reply and after a few moments of silence, she walked away.

He had tried giving her space. He knew that sometimes kids reacted negatively to things and became withdrawn. He had been sure Clementine would come around eventually. But maybe that wasn't what she wanted, what she needed. He hadn't meant to upset the child, but now the girl was avoiding him like the plague. And it hurt. It hurt to be ignored by the only person you had left. Was that how he had been making her feel? Had he made the girl feel neglected. Realizing how unfair he's been he knows what he has to do.

"I guess I owe her an apology, huh, Alvie." Kenny asked the sleepy infant in his arms.

Alvie gave a quiet coo in response and Kenny took the boy's sound as a yes.

He smiled down at the boy.

"I'll go say sorry as soon as I get you to sleep, buddy."

Alvie seemed to agree with him, giving a little yarn before closing his little eyes.

Clementine was mature and she without a doubt saw herself as an adult, which (in Kenny's book) she wasn't. Still, Kenny hoped that since she thought of herself as a grown-up, maybe she would be willing to sit down and have a discussion to resolve the issue they were currently having because he didn't know how much longer he could handle her cold shoulder.

* * *

_**Hey guys! It's a really short chapter. I know guys.  
Anyways, if anyone wants to leave any ideas for One-Shots I'll be happy to take them!  
Thanks for reading. Please review.**_

_**Also, guest, of course I'll write the One-Shot you requested! I'll be working on that next. Thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Clem, can I come in?" Kenny called giving a few knocks on the door.

He wondered if she was even awake. It was pretty late.

When he heard the girl give a loud sigh from the inside of the room, he suddenly felt a wave of nervousness run through him. He hoped she'd accept his apology. He didn't want the girl hating him. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Sure..." Came Clementine's quiet response.

Kenny walked into the room, completely dark except for a single lit candle that sat on the desk. "Hey, Clementine."

"Hey."

He walked over to the desk that she sat at. "Darlin', you're right. We're in this together." He stood next to her. "I'm sorry for how I was treating you."

"Me too." Clementine sighed, looking up at him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay, hon."

"Yeah..." Clementine responded a bit awkwardly. Looking back down to whatever she was doing.

Feeling uncomfortable in the silence Kenny tried to spark up some conversation.

"What're you up to?" Kenny asked.

"Just drawing." Clementine answered bluntly

"Bored of that jump-rope already?" He asked.

Clementine shrugged, "It's... okay."

He moved closer to her noticing a stack of papers on the edge of the desk.

"What'd ya draw, hon?" He asked, reaching over and pick up the pile of papers that had laid out neatly on top of the desk. "Clementine...this is..." He trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

"Its not that good. I know." Clementine said, not looking up from the drawing she was currently working on. "I haven't drawn in a long time."

"No...They're...uh..." He felt his mouth go dry as he tried to find words that wouldn't offend the young girl. "...They're...great, hon...Its just..." He trailed off as he looked through the pictures, feeling a slightly horrified. They were far from 'great'. He forced himself to remain calm, while holding back an expression of horror.

"Just what?" Clem asked.

"W-When did you start drawing these, Clem?" Kenny questioned back.

"Umm...A few days after we got here."

The pictures were really disturbing him. They were all drawings of people who they'd known. People that had died. The way they had died. Kenny froze as he came to a drawing of a person who he quickly recognized as Sarita.

"Kenny?" Clementine called out.

He quickly tore his eyes away from the drawing and turned his attention to the child. "What's the matter?" Her voice was full of concern as she gave the man a worried look.

"It...It's nothing, Clem." Kenny placed the pictures back on the desk. Straightening up, he turned away, letting out a sigh. "Lights out, darlin'." He called, as he made his way out of the room, trying to get those pictures out of his head.


	6. Chapter 6

He knew he had to do something. They were going to run out of food. They'd starve if he didn't find something soon.

Kenny sighed as he closed the duffel bag. He stood from his spot on the ground, checking to see that AJ was still fast asleep, before making his way down the hall to Clementine's room.

"Clem," He called as he reached the door.

"Yeah?" Came the little girl's voice.

"You busy?" He asked.

"No." Clementine sound as if she took humor in his question.

What could she be busy doing? There was nothing to do around here.

"Can I come in?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. Come in." Clementine waited for him to open the door.

"Hey, Clem." He greeted.

"Hey." Clementine responded.

The girl was rocking back and forth in the chair by the desk, so he figured she must of been bored. "What are you up to, darlin?"

"Nothing." Clementine answered with a sigh. Answering that question had suddenly made her feel extremely bored.

He wished he could find her something to do. She was just a child, kids were supposed to be playing with their toys, or playing with other children. Not dealing with the bullshit that she had to deal with.

Kenny walked over, taking a seat on the bed. "Alvie's asleep. Mind keeping an eye on him for a bit?"

"Uh...Sure." Clementine agreed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm heading out for a little while." Kenny told her.

"Where are you going?" She demanded.

Kenny sighed. "We don't have much left. You know that, Clem."

"Yeah..." Clementine answered. "What should we do?" She was ready to help out in anyway should could. As long as Kenny had a plan.

"I'm gonna head out for a bit. See what I can find." He explained.

"Oh. Okay. I'll go with you-" Clementine stood from her chair.

"No." Kenny quickly stood as well. "You'll stay here." He ordered, moving in front of the door.

"I can help." Clementine offered.

"You can help by keeping an eye on Alvie." Kenny replied.

"That's not fair!" Clementine whined. Was this how Nick had felt when Luke wouldn't let him help at the bridge.

"I'm not gonna argue with you, Clem."

"I don't want to stay here!" Clementine continued to whine.

"Clementine." He called.

"I...I can help. If something happens, I can cover you!" Clementine cried out. The exact same word that Nick had uttered to Luke.

"No, Clem. I'm not taking you and Alvie out there." Kenny refused.

"But-"

Kenny didn't let her speak, cutting her off before she could complete her sentence."You've seen how it is out there, darlin'. It's not safe."

"That's why you should take me." Clementine said. "It's too dangerous alone. We can watch each other's backs!"

"Clementine, please. Just stay here. I can't bring Alvie back out there." He begged.

He knew the girl was stubborn, but hopefully she would agree with him if he used Alvie as his excuse. He couldn't bring them out there. He wouldn't be able to handle it if one of those kids ended up getting hurt. It would kill him.

If something were to happen to him, however, he was sure Clementine would be able to take care of herself and AJ, at least he hoped so. ''Please, Clem?" He asked again.

"Okay...Okay, I'll stay. Just...Be careful, Kenny." She said. She didn't think she could deal with it if something happened to Kenny. He was all he had left. She didn't want to lose him too.

"I will, darlin'." He said.

"Promise?" Clementine whispered.

"Yeah. I promise you." He assured. "Clem," He began as he knelt down in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eye.

"Kenny?" She questioned in confusion.

Kenny had a pained look on his face and it scared the girl. Was he hurt?

"Kenny, what's wrong?" She asked, worried about her friend's well-being. "Are you okay?" She looked down. She didn't like looking him in the eye this close. It made her remember what Carver had done. And everytime she remembered that, she couldn't help, but feel guilty.

"I'm fine, darlin'," Kenny said, noticing her avoiding his gaze. "Look as me, Clem." He waited for her to meet his gaze. "If something happens-"

"No!" Clementine suddenly jerked away from him, startling the man. "Don't say that. Nothing's going to-"

"If it does...If something does happen, you don't come looking for me, okay." He ordered. "You take care of Alvie. And you go, find somewhere safe."

"We're safe..." Clementine whispered.

It took a moment for him to understand what she was saying.

"No. No...You...Don't- Don't stay here, Clem." He knew it wouldn't be safe . They would run out of supplies, out of food, things they needed to stay alive. "If I don't come back after two days, you take Alvie and you go somewhere else."

"Where?" She asked.

"I...I don't know. Somewhere." He thought for a bit. "Wellington." He said. Wellington would be their best bet. "Ya go to Wellington. You remember where that is, right?"

Clementine nodded. "I think so."

He knew it was a big risk. Even if she did remember would they even be able to make it? He knew Clementine was tough, but he also knew that a little girl and a baby, all alone, they would be vulnerable to just about everything.

"If you don't remember...find a group, people you can-" He stopped himself from finishing that sentence. He didn't want her to trust any strangers. He knew how that usually turned out. Last time it had ended with a bullet in Clementine's shoulder.

He decided to change his wording. "Find people that can take care of you. And you take care of Alvie...and...and stay safe, okay, darlin'?"

"I...I will." Clementine nodded. For some reason she found herself, remembering the day when he was going to leave her and AJ in Wellington. "You better come back.

"Of course I will darlin'." Kenny smiled. He studied her face and noticed tears welling in her eyes. "Don't be sad, Clem." He gave her a pat on the head before standing up. He felt bad for making her cry, but she had to know what to do in case things took a bad turn. "Everything will be fine."

"Yeah." Clementine nodded in agreement, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'll be back before you know it." Kenny promised. He wasn't dead yet, and he didn't plan on dying anytime soon. Not when he had those kids to protect.

"Okay." Clementine said.

"Stay here!" He called, opening the door.

"I will. I will." Clementine moaned, watching as he made out of the door. She felt nervous watching him walk away, knowing there was a chance he might not come back. She hoped with all her might that he would "stay lucky".


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thank you everyone for your kind reviews! I love them! _**

**_emilyrose727: Yeah. I put the 'Stay lucky' part in there on purpose._**

* * *

Nothing.

He had been out for hours. He had spent so much time looking only to find nothing.

Walking a bit more he had soon stumbled upon what looked to be an abandoned campsite. Cans were scattered around the ground.

Taking a wary glance around the area, he walked over to pick one of the cans up. Empty. "Dammit." He groaned, dropping the can. Kicking a few more empty ones out of the way, he made his way over to the torn up tent.

He took a look inside.

"God fucking dammit!" He snapped.

It was empty. Not like he had been expecting anything less.

There had to be something left. Something. Anything useful.

The rest of the campsite had nothing of use. And he knew the likeliness of finding something out in the middle of the woods was extremely low.

With a sigh, he sat himself down on a nearby stump.

How could he be so stupid? He should have known that something like this would have happened. He should have left them in Wellington. He should have forced them to stay. Of course it would have broken both Clementine and his own hearts, but at least they'd be safe. They would have food and water. They would have warm blankets and beds that they wouldn't have to jump out of and leave behind without warning. And maybe poor little Clementine wouldn't be having those terrible nightmares. He was an idiot for bringing them along.

He couldn't do this. Maybe he just wasn't capable of protecting people. It seemed like every single time he tried, he failed.

Hell, he had already failed at protecting his own family. And now he was going to fail at protecting kids.

Those kids were the last bit of family, he had left. And if he didn't find something in their blood was gonna be on his hands. He couldn't let that happen. It would be absolutely devastating. He was already broken, he would completely shatter if he were to lose them.

He wouldn't allow history to repeat itself. As frustrated as he was, he knew those kids were counting on him.

He knew Clementine still trusted him, although he didn't know why she did, but after all he'd put her through he'd be damned if he let that child down.

He had made a promise to keep Clementine and AJ safe. And that's what he was gonna do. Pushing himself up, he started back on his search.

* * *

**_Review and tell me what you think. Thanks!_**


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a while since Kenny had left.

Clementine sat in front of Alvie, who was lying on the floor on a soft, furry blanket. The boy had woken not too long after Kenny left. Clementine had been in the middle of drawing, when she heard him wailing, which sucked.

She was now keeping herself busy by making funny faces at the baby boy, watching happily as his little hands groped in all directions as tiny feet pat the floor gently.

Every so often Clementine would glace into the hallway to see if Kenny would be there.

She was worried about him.

She quickly looked over to Alvie when the boy gave a whimper.

"Oh Alvie..." She cooed, "What happened?" She gave him a gentle pat on the back. "It's alright."

Alvie continued to fuss.

"Aww...It's okay." She said, eyes wide. "Don't cry." She begged.

Her pleas did nothing to cease his tantrum. Clementine had to think fast. "Peekaboo!" She suddenly exclaimed. Alvie opened his eyes, watching her curiously as the girl covered her face.

"Peekaboo!" She repeated.

Alvie squealed causing Clem to giggle. Moving her hands to cover her face she quickly pulled them away again, "Peekaboo."

The baby giggled at her.

Clementine smiled.

After a few minutes of this Alvie started to cry. Clementine scrunched her face up. "Hey, it's okay. Don't cry," She tried. Straightening up she pulled the baby into her arms, gently rocking the infant.

Alvie continued to wail.

Getting up, Clementine held Alvie close to her as she began to walk around the room. After a few minutes the child began to quiet down.

Clementine sighed, rubbing soft circles on the baby's back, slightly bouncing Alvie while walking.

After a while of pacing the room, Clementine felt her legs getting tired and stopped, however, the second she stopped walking Avlie began to cry again.

"No, no. Shhh...Shh...Alvie..."

Clementine soothed, once again pacing the floor, "It's okay." Alvie quieted again. Clementine ran her little fingers through Alvie's soft curly locks, giving a smile as the boy gurgled in response. "Why are you being so fussy today?" She asked with a pout

Noticing the boy sucking his fist, she put two and two together.

"You must be hungry." Alvie cooed, reaching a hand up to the girl's face.

Clementine looked down at the boy in her arms, cradling him close to her chest. "Okay, Alvie. Come on." She let out a groaned, "You're getting heavy."

Alvie gave her a smile as if he was teasing her. She smiled back, making her way down the stairs.

"Here. Wait here." She placed him down on the couch, making sure the boy was secure enough so he wouldn't roll off. "Don't move." She said before racing to the kitchen. She looked for the formula. Spotting it on a high shelf she sighed.

'Seriously?' She thought. 'Why would he put it so high?'

Climbing on top of the counter, she grabbed the formula, leaping down from the counter.

She heard Alvie let out a cry from the other room.

"Hey!" She called. "Alvie, don't be a jerk!"

Grabbing his bottle, she unscrewed the cap. Pouring the formula inside and adding some water, she recapped the bottle, and gave it a few shakes.

Walking back into the living room, she made her way over to Alvie. She lifted the boy into her arms. "Sorry I took so long. It was Kenny fault."

The child gave a grin at the mention of the man.

"You think he's okay?" Clementine asked.

Alvie stopped his drinking and gave a tiny coo in response.

"Yeah, you're right." Clementine nodded.

Kenny was tough. She was sure he would be alright. He was probably on his way back right now. "Kenny will be fine."

He just had to be.


	9. Chapter 9

Why couldn't he find anything? It was getting late. Clem would probably be worried about him. He was about ready to give up. As much as he didn't want to head back empty handed, he didn't think he had much of a choice in the matter. He needed to get back to make sure the kids were alright. He didn't like leaving them alone. Especially not this long.

He'd just have to go out early morning tomorrow. Hopefully he would be able to cover more ground that way.

However as he was about to call it quits, he stumbled upon a house.

Readying his gun, he quickly checked his surroundings. Taking weary steps, he reached the door.

There had to be something in there. The just had to be. It was the only option he had left.

Trying the doorknob, he was surprised to find the door was unlocked. He was expecting the door to be locked off even boarded. It was rare to find a place that wasn't nowadays.

Keeping his gun at ready in case things went to shit. He opened the door.

He hoped no one was inside. He wasn't in the mood to deal with people.

But regardless, if things went sideways, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. He didn't plan on dying today. Not when he had Clem and AJ to get back to.

Still he was prepared for the worse. If someone was waiting inside, he hoped they would be friendly, at least enough not to shoot him. And maybe, if he got lucky, they'd be generous enough to offer some food. Maybe if he mentioned Clem and AJ they would feel sympathetic and give him something. Anything.

Giving one last glance over his shoulder, he stepped into the house.


	10. Chapter 10

Kenny kept on his guard as he made his way through the house. It was just his luck to find this place, right as he was about to give up.

Making his way through the house he stubbled upon what was obviously the kitchen. Hope ran through him as he opened the fridge.

Empty. He figured it would be, but he had to check anyway.

Moving to the cabinets he checked each of them only to find nothing.

He felt frustration building up again as he looked under the sink.  
He fought the urge to kick the

There was nothing in the kitchen... There was nothing left.

He failed those kids. They were going to starve and it would be his fucking fault.

No he had to calm down.

Shaking those thoughts away he straightened up. He'd just search the rest of the house. There had to be something left.

Leaving behind the kitchen, he made his way to the living room. From there he checked every closet he could see.

He was getting worried that he'd be heading back empty handed. He had covered just about every inch of the house.

There was one last door. His hand hovered over the knob and he braced himself for whatever was behind it. Most likely the nothing of use.

Opening the door he was greeted with a staircase.

Carefully, he made his way down the stairs into what looked like a basement. When he reached the last step, his eyes went wide.

Right there in front of him was a shelf, stocked with cans and all kinds of things that he NEEDED.

Quickly making his way over to the shelf he grabbed a bag that lay on the floor and started filling it with as much as he could. He'd take all he could carry and get out of there as quickly as possible.

In his haste, he didn't hear the footsteps on the stairs, nor did he notice the person creep up behind him.  
And before he could turn around it was too late.

"Don't move." A sudden voice came from behind him. Sparring a quick glance over his shoulder, his eyes met the barrel of a gun and all he could think was "Oh Shit".

* * *

_**Very short chapter, but the next ones will be longer. I just had some writers block and needed to get something out. Sorry for the wait. Anyways, enjoy!**_


	11. Author's Note

Hi guys. So this is a quick author's note in referance to my story "A Promise".

I know it's been forever since I touched that story, but I was pretty pissed off.

I had writen the next few chapters out when my laptop decided to crash. I couldn't restore the files. And hadn't got to get them on my flashdrive yet. It really made me just want to stop writing for a bit. But, I've gotten a new computer and I'm ready to start on this fic again.

I have also read your reviews. And I can't completely remember what I was planning, so I'm going to allow you guys to make a decision.

Who should be holding Kenny at gunpoint.

**Lilly?**

**Christa?**

**Molly?**

**Completely different person?**

_The winning vote will be the person. Also, if you have any ideas for this story, let me know and I will consider them._


	12. Chapter 12

"Don't move." As soon as the words were uttered Kenny froze. After a few seconds he attempted to give a quick glance over his shoulder to see whoever was holding him at gun point. "I said don't you fucking move!" The voice snapped.

"Please," Kenny started. "I don't want any trouble."

He just wanted to get back to Clementine and AJ. They were the only thing he could think about. And now standing here knowing he might die, he felt his heart breaking at the thought of those two kids being all alone.

"Neither do I." The person muttered.

How ironic coming from the one who was pointing a gun at him. He wanted to yell at them. To say "fuck you", but he knew if he did they'd probably shoot him without second thought.

"Drop your weapons." They ordered.

Kenny hesitated, but felt the gun press into his back. Biting back a sigh, he did as he was told. He couldn't help but think the voice speaking sounded familiar.

"What are you doing here?" The person asked.

It was at that moment he noted, whoever holding the gun to him was female. Not that it meant anything. He definitely had his ass handed to him by Molly, he didn't want that to happen again. "I...I was looking for some food." He honestly replied.

"Well...I don't have any. So get lost." The woman said.

Kenny felt a wave of annoyance rush through him. Did this girl think he was stupid? "Then what is this?" He motioned towards the many cans.

"Nothing for you."

"Please. Please. I don't need much..." He started to beg. He didn't want to be he was left with no choice.

"I said get outta here." She pressed the gun against him once more.

"What's going on?" Another voice came from upstairs.

"I'm handling it." The woman called before hissing to Kenny, "We don't have anything, so get lost.

Kenny couldn't help himself as her turned around to face the woman, "Please just-"

"K-Kenny?" She choked.

Kenny stared in shock for a moment. "Christa?"

"Oh my God..." The woman's eye were wide as she tried to process what she was see. "How?"

"You're alive?" Kenny asked in surprise.

"How did you...? How did you make it out of there?" Christa asked.

"It's a long story..." Kenny said. He didn't have time to explain this.

"We have time." Christa replied.

"Everything okay down there?" A man's voice called.

"Everything's fine!" Christa assured. "Lets go upstairs, don't want them thinking you're a robber or something." She said.

Kenny looked to his weapons then back to her loaded gun.  
"You can bring your stuff." Christa said quickly, reading his mind.

Kenny nodded and gathered his things. After that the two made there way up the steps.

Kenny immediately received hostel looks from a young man.

"Who the hell is this?" The guy asked, pointing his own gun towards Kenny. Kenny assumed he was in his early twenties.

"Gun down." Christa ordered.

"You know this guy?" A woman asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, from a long time ago..." Christa replied.

"Doesn't change the fact that he was sneaking around our place." The young man said. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I need some...need some food." Kenny explained.

"Food?" The woman asked.

"Yes." Kenny said.

The man huffed, "Well, we don't-"

Before he could finish speak, Christa handed Kenny a single can. "That's all I can give you."

One can. "That's not enough." Kenny quickly shook his head.

"Take it or leave it asshole." The young man growled. "We don't have enough to be giving away."

"I have kids." Kenny said.

"What?" Christa sounded surprised to hear that.

"Kids?" The young man echoed.

Kenny gave a nod. "Two of them."

"I don't see any kids." The man spat.

Kenny quickly shook his head, "They're not with me. I left them back...home."

Christa locked eyes with the man for a moment and she could tell he was sincere. She sighed and started filling a bag with cans of food.

"Christa, what are you doing?" The other woman in Christa's group looked confused.

"I told you all about the girl I was with. How we got separated." Christa said.

"Yeah, what does she have to do with anything?" The man asked.

"I'd want someone to do the same for her." Christa stated.

"Clementine right?" Kenny spoke.

Christa looked at him, Kenny could see the pain in the woman's eyes. "Yeah. I was with her after Lee."

"About that..." Kenny started, "Clem and I ran into each other a while back. We've been together ever since."

Christa looked surprised. "No kidding?"

"Serious as can be." Kenny replied.

"Isn't that something." Christa smiled to herself. "How is she?"

"Okay...considering." Kenny said gently. He didn't mention Clementine's nightmares or strange behavior.

Christa furrowed her brow. "I'd like to see her."

"You can." Kenny stated.

"No...I can't." Christa shook her head.

"Why not?" Kenny asked in confusion.

"Why are you just giving him our food?" The man suddenly asked Christa.

"You'd want someone to do the same for Tyla." Christa said.

That shut him up and he walked from the room.

"This...This is great." Kenny said. "Clementine really missed you, you should really come back and see her."

"I can't." Christa repeated.

"W-Why not?" Kenny asked. "She'd love to see you."

"I can't just leave the group, Kenny." Christa sighed.

"But Clem..."

"Take good care of her." Christa handed him the bag that she had filled. "I know you will."

"I..."

"Go now." Christa said. "I'm sure she's worried sick about you."

"Yeah. Probably. I should get back to them." Kenny muttered. "N-Nice seeing you again."

"Likewise." Christa pulled him to a hug, shocking him. "Take care of my girl."

Kenny only nodded as she released him from the hug.

Kenny walked away without looking back, he decided not to tell Clementine he'd seen her old guardian. He wouldn't want to girl getting her hopes up to see her.

Kenny looked down at the bag he now held in his hands. At least he had some food now, maybe with this they had a chance for a while. At least they could take a week or two before they had to leave again. He didn't like having Clem and AJ outside all the time. They deserved to settle down and rest for once in some place warm, some place safe.

Kenny sighed.

What an interesting day he had. An interesting fucking day.


End file.
